Cancer is a group of diseases which is categorized to differentiate into diverse cell types and move around in the body to sites of organogenesis that is key to the process of tumor genesis. All types of cancer fall into the group of malignant neoplastic diseases. In Bangladesh, cancer is now one of the foremost killer diseases and its personal, social, and economic bearing are huge. Plant-derived natural compounds (vincristine, vinblastine, etoposide, paclitaxel, camptothecin, topotecan, and irinotecan) are useful for the treatment of cancer. Since there is no extensive ethnobotanical research study in Bangladesh regarding the traditional uses of medicinal plants against neoplasms, therefore, a randomized ethnopharmacological surveys were carried out in 3 districts of Bangladesh to learn more about the usage of anticancer medicinal plants and their chemical constituents having antineoplastic activity. Comprehensive interviews were conducted to the folk medicine practitioners and medicinal plants as pointed out by them were photographed, collected, deposited, and identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. The various plant parts have been used by the healers which included whole plant, leaves, fruits, barks, roots, and seeds. This study evaluated considerable potential for discovery of novel compounds with less side effects in the management and prevention of malignancy in cancer.
Cancer is defined as an abnormal growth of cells caused by multiple changes in gene expression leading to deregulated balance of cell proliferation and cell death. Cancer is those tumors [
Cancer is a leading cause of death in the western world. In the United States and a number of European countries, cancer is the second leading destroyer after cardiovascular diseases [
The National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) started a cancer registry in 2005 for the first time in Bangladesh along with the World Health Organization (WHO). This report covers three years from 2005 to 2007. Data were collected from 24,847 cancer patients who appeared in the NICRH for the first time [
Various plants have been used against cancer and tumor in traditional medicine system of Bangladesh since many years. Traditional medicinal knowledge has been a means towards the discovery of many modern medicines [
It was objective of the present study to conduct a randomized ethnopharmacological survey to learn more about the medicinal plants used by folk medicine practitioners of Bangladesh for the treatment of cancer and also to do comprehensive study on several published articles attributed to the
The present randomized surveys were carried out between October 2013 and March 2014, among the
(a) Map of Bangladesh showing survey area with square shade: (b) Khulna district, (c) Jessore District, and (d) Narail District.
The surveys were conducted with the help of a semistructured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method [
A total of 20 plant species were obtained from the
Medicinal plants used by the folk medicine practitioners in three districts of Bangladesh for prevention and management of malignancy in cancer.
Serial number | Botanic name | Family name | Vernacular name | Part(s) utilized |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
Acanthaceae | Harjora | Leaf |
2 |
|
Acanthaceae | Makhna | Leaf |
3 |
|
Arecaceae | Tal | Root, fruit |
4 |
|
Aristolochiaceae | Ichamul | Leaf |
5 |
|
Asteraceae | Shadhi | Whole plant |
6 |
|
Cannabaceae | Bhang | Leaf, root |
7 |
|
Compositae | Kukurshunga | Leaf |
8 |
|
Cucurbitaceae | Lotaakal | Whole plant |
9 |
|
Cucurbitaceae | Kumra | Leaf, stem, and fruit |
10 |
|
Dilleniaceae | Chalta | Leaf, fruit |
11 |
|
Dioscoreaceae | Lota-bori | Root, fruit |
12 |
|
Fabaceae | Mandar gach | Leaf |
13 |
|
Fabaceae | Dhoinche | Leaf, bark, flower, and seed |
14 |
|
Malvaceae | Lota koshturi | Leaf, seed |
15 |
|
Moringaceae | Shajna | Leaf |
16 |
|
Nymphaeaceae | Shapla | Tuber, root |
17 |
|
Polygonaceae | Bishalo-pata | Leaf, seed |
18 |
|
Rutaceae | Kamini gach | Leaf |
19 |
|
Scrophulariaceae | Chapta-pata | Whole plant |
20 |
|
Verbenaceae | Jongli jui | Root |
Percentage of plant parts used by the traditional medicine practitioners in the prevention and management of cancer.
Among developed countries, the incidence and mortality rates for various cancers are almost the same. Lung cancer is the most common cancer among men in both developing and developed countries of the world and breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Annually, the global death rate for cancer is estimated to be more than 6 million people and over 22 million individuals have been diagnosed with cancer worldwide [
List of cancer types [
Lung cancer | Breast cancer |
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Colorectal cancer | Liver cancer |
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Pancreatic cancer | Cancers of the female reproductive tract (cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer) |
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Prostate cancer | Urinary bladder cancer |
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Lymphoma | Leukemia |
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Skin cancer | Cancer of the central nervous system |
Many developing countries have intensified their efforts in documenting the ethnomedical data and scientific literature on medicinal plants. In 2000, natural product derivatives were involved in 14 of the top 35 drugs based on worldwide sales [
List of some plant-derived antineoplastic lead compounds currently in use and currently in clinical trials [
Source of plant | Specific mechanism of actions of the lead compounds | |
---|---|---|
Antineoplastic lead compounds currently in use | ||
Vinblastine, Vincristine |
|
Bind to the microtubulin site in the |
Taxol |
|
Binds to the taxane site as a microtubule stabilizer and interfering with the normal breakdown of microtubules during cell division [ |
Etoposide |
|
Binds to tubulin and interferes with the formation of spindles in mitosis [ |
Camptothecin, irinotecan, and topotecan |
|
Arrest the cell cycle at the S-phase by inhibiting the activity of topoisomerase I, leading to the inhibition of DNA replication and transcription [ |
Antineoplastic lead compounds currently in clinical trials | ||
Homoharringtonine |
|
Inhibits protein synthesis and blocking cell-cycle progression [ |
Curcumin |
|
Induces apoptosis and inhibits the proliferation of a variety of malignant cells and is involved in the regulation of combined signaling pathways at multiple levels by acting on various targets including modulation of gene transcription factors (NF |
Resveratrol |
|
Inhibits the growth of cancer cells and induces apoptosis by acting at multiple cellular targets, including activation of p53, inhibiting 10 otulins, 10 genases, and cytochrome P450 enzymes, and activating AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) [ |
Flavopiridol |
|
Exhibits apoptosis induction [ |
Secondary metabolites are compounds belonging to varied chemical groups that exert biological activities both on human and animal cells. Products of secondary metabolites are the main phytochemical constituents with various pharmaceutical properties serving either as protective agents against various pathogens or growth regulatory molecules. These physiological functions are the effects on cancer cells or tumor development inhibition. Plant-derived commercial anticancer drugs (vinblastine and vincristine from
List of reported phytochemicals from Bangladeshi antineoplastic plants used by folk medicine practitioners.
Serial number | Plant source | Phytochemical constituents | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
Uridine (1-[(3R,4S,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5- |
[ |
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2 |
|
Flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, steroids, and tannins; lupeol, |
[ |
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3 |
|
Aristolochic acid, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, phenol, and saponins | [ |
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4 |
|
Thymoquinol dimethyl, |
[ |
|
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5 |
|
Dammarane triterpenoid; resorcinol, phenol, pentanoic acid, glycerin, 10-undecenyl ester, octadecanoic acid, and n-hexadecanoic acid | [ |
|
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6 |
|
Cannabinoids; Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC | [ |
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7 |
|
Neoclerodane diterpenoids (inermes A, B and 14,15-dihydro-15 |
[ |
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8 |
|
Carbohydrates, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, and saponins steroids; L-asparaginase; glutamic acid, calcium, and resin; and |
[ |
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9 |
|
Dihydroisorhamnetin, dillenetin; tannin, betunaldehyde, betulinic acid, rhamnetin, dihydroisorhamnetin, lupeol, myricetin, naringenin, quercetin and kaempferol glucoside, and stigmasterol | [ |
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10 |
|
Kaempferol-3, 5-dimethyl ether, caryatin, (L)-catechin, myricetin, quercetin-3-O-galactopyranoside, myricetin-3-O-galactopyranoside, myricetin-3-O-glucopyranoside, and diosbulbin B | [ |
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11 |
|
Beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, palmitic acid, and honey acid | [ |
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12 |
|
Lectin, isoflavones, alkaloids, flavonoids, pterocarpans, triterpenes, steroids, alkyl transferulates, proteins, lecithin, 10,11-dioxoerythratidine, and crystagallin A | [ |
|
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13 |
|
Flavonoids and polyphenols; apigenin 7-O-glucuronide alkaloids (asteracanthine and asteracanthicine); triterpenes (lupeol, hydrocarbon, hentriacontane, 13 otulin, luteolin, and luteolin-7-O-rutinoside); aliphatic esters (25-oxo-hentriacontyl acetate, methyl 8-nhexyltetracosanoate); and sterols (stigmasterol) | [ |
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14 |
|
Flavonoid pigments (kaempferol, rhamnetin, isoquercitrin, and kaempferitrin), glycoside compounds, glucosinolates, and isothiocyanates; beta-sitosterol, glycerol-1-(9-octadecanoate), 3-O-(6′-O-oleoyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl), beta-sitosterol, and beta-sitosterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside | [ |
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15 |
|
Coumarins (7-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-2- oxobutoxy)-2H-chromen-2-one, umbelliferone, and scopolin); indole alkaloids (murrayacarine and murrayaculatine) | [ |
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16 |
|
Protein, carbohydrate, reducing sugar, glycosides, phenol, tannin, flavones, saponin, steroid, alkaloid, anthraquinone, quinone, and lectin | [ |
|
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17 |
|
Apigenin-7-O-glucoside, catechin, epicatechin, hyperin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol, kaempferol rutinoside, quercitrin, persicarin, rhamnetin, polygonic acid, polygodial acetal | [ |
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18 |
|
Oleanolic acid, stigmastane-5.24(28)-diene-3 |
[ |
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19 |
|
Cucurbitacin B, cucurbitacin D, 4′,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxyisoaurone | [ |
|
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20 |
|
Terpenes, esters, steroids (sterols and sterenes), p-hydroxyphenyl ethyl alcohol, maltol, and loliolide. |
[ |
Hydroalcoholic seed and leaf extracts of
The ethanol leaves’ extract of the plant was found [
The cytotoxicity and antitumor activity of the chloroform extracts of
Dammarane triterpenoid 1, isolated from
There is an
The interest in anticarcinogenic properties of cannabinoids was renewed after the discovery of the endocannabinoid system [
Methanol extract of
Leaf powder of
Petroleum ether fraction of the plant showed potential effects against HepA with microstructure abnormality of HepA cells surface [
The aqueous and methanolic extracts of the leaves of
Steroid derived from the stem bark and the leaves of
The effect of
A hydroalcoholic extract of
The methanolic extract of
A triterpenoid compound named cucurbitacin B isolated from
Among twenty plant species, four of the species used by folk medicine practitioners have no strong published data regarding anticancer or cytotoxic activities. These 4 species are
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
The authors wish to thank all the medicine practitioners for providing useful information regarding cancer treatment.